Of Bonded Souls
by notagoodplace4gods
Summary: The Young Justice Team reports their first mission in space as a complete success. They ended a war, they are now back on Earth, safe and sound, and, oh, Kid Flash and Nightwing may have gotten kind of alien-married. Accidentally.


**A/N:** For the DC Marriage Week. Monday October 19th – Proposal

 **xxx**

Kaldur finishes debriefing to Batman, reporting the team's first mission in space as a complete success, but no one leaves the room, and that is the first clue that something is off.

The second clue is that Nightwing isn't looking at him in the eye. The third is that Kid Flash looks like he might start crying any minute now and is trying to hide behind Dick, despite being taller than him.

"And?" Batman turns to Kaldur, demanding an answer. The Atlantean seems completely speechless for a moment as he turns to face his teammates. No words are spoken out loud between them, but Batman is aware they they're discussing something in the mind link.

Artemis suddenly snorts, Zatanna elbows her on the arm, and can't help, but mimic the smile on her friend's face. Kaldur sighs, his entire body language making it obvious he regrets being the one to deliver the news.

"Kid Flash and Nightwing... They, uh..."

"We may have gotten kind of alien-married. Accidentally." Nightwing raises his head and speaks for the first time since they've entered the room.

Batman turns to his former sidekick. "Explain. Now."

 **xxx**

"We were undercover in opposite factions and, during one of the confrontations, we did something, a hand gesture, I think, that was misinterpreted as a marriage proposal by the natives." Dick explains for the third time; the first was to the team, the second was to Batman and now he's doing it again because The Flash just got there. He focus on Flash, instead of Batman, because he just can't look at his former mentor. It's been almost an year since they've last talked to each other and he'd rather stay this way.

"Someone screamed something, pointed to us and suddenly everybody stopped fighting." Wally takes over as he senses the other's turmoil. "Marriage is something sacred to them, you know, really important stuff? We were taken to the leaders of our factions and it was the first time both of them were in each other's presence? We totally made history that day."

"We asked for the end of the war as our wedding gift and the majority of the population stood behind us on this. Kaldur came in to help the peace negotiations and that was it." Dick finishes for him. "We helped them end the war, fulfilling our mission, and we didn't even had to engage in combat. We just had to..."

"Get married." The Flash chimes in, amused. Hal had seen the team arrive and told him everyone was in one piece, but the urgency on Batman's tone when the dark knight called for him made Barry worry; what if something happened to his nephew? It must have been something serious for the mission to be cut short like this. He had made the way from Central to Happy Harbor in record time just to be told that something did happen to his nephew. Wally had gotten himself married. To his best friend. In space. Oh, man. Barry is torn between laughing because he's relieved that Wally's okay, laughing because he kind of saw it coming a long time ago, - Dick and Wally had always been close, way too close to stay as best friends, - but oh, god, he did not see _this_ coming, and laughing because this is crazy and he doesn't know what else to do. "So, congratulations are in order, or what?"

"It's not like this, uncle B." Wally feels his cheeks heating up at the insinuation on his uncle's voice. "We got married because we had to, the aliens wouldn't have it any other way. Plus, alien marriage is waaaaay different than actual human marriage, you know? It didn't resemble our marriage at all, it was more of a...uh, kind of a soul bonding ceremony."

Batman's expression doesn't change, but Wally can feel the air growing deadlier somehow.

"Kid." Barry finally starts laughing and maybe it's because the whole thing _is_ a bit funny. "Kid, you're not exactly helping yourself."

 **xxx**

"Is Bruce finally over with the tests?" Dick asks when the door to his old room in the Manor opens and Wally comes in.

"Yes, finally! The whole thing took forever and I think Bruce was almost out of threats to make me stand still." Wally tries on a tired smile. "You know that's how he shows he cares, right? I think he's been up for thirty hours now testing to see if we're okay after this alien marriage thing."

"I know he does, it's just... It's complicated."

"When isn't it?" Wally gives a small shrug and touches Dick's shoulder. Almost immediately, white stripes lighten up in a white blinding light, running through Wally's skin to Dick's, coming together to form the alien word for _bonded._ "I keep forgetting about that." A fond laughter escapes from his lips. "I keep forgetting so every time I touch you, I get overwhelmed."

"Looking on the _whelming_ side, as long as we're together, we'll never need flashlights again." Dick takes his hand to Wally's face and the stripes follow his movement. They haven't really talked since the ceremony and Dick was low key dreading the moment they were left alone together, worrying that their new social status would put a restraint on their friendship, but now that they are, it's just like before, plus some added touching, and it all feels natural. It's like a heavy weight's been lifted from his chest and Dick can finally breath again. "Also, they're like cool free tattoos."

"Really cool." Wally agrees and unconsciously leans into the touch for a moment before moving away and walking to Dick's bed. "But I'm also really tired. You coming?"

"Didn't Alfred show you to your room? It probably has a bed in it, you know."

"Yes, but it's far away and I'm tired, come on, dude, we used to sleep on the same bed all the time before." Wally lays down and extends his arms in his friend's direction, making grabby hands at him. "Now we're married and that's off of the table? Will you make me divorce you? Because I will divorce you."

"Not if I divorce you first." Dick says and the smile comes easily. He reluctantly takes a step closer to the bed and then another and then Wally's arms are embracing him and pulling him down.

"Promises, promises." The redhead pouts. "Also, I'm calling dibs on Babs as my lawyer."

"Excuse you, I've got ex-boyfriend privileges. Also, she's still an undergrad student. It will take at least three years until she's ready to practice law."

"I'll wait. I'll have to bear being married to your hot millionaire ass for a bit longer. But no longer than three years, Dick, you hear me?" The redhead yawns and closes his eyes, snuggling closer to where Dick is.

"Yeah, okay." Dick lays down next to him, watches his best friend's face and comes to the realization that there are worse fates than being married to Wally West. "Three years seem fair."

 **xxx**

"How come you're not bothered by it?" Artemis asks them one day, staring at their entwined fingers. "I mean, it was a lot entertaining at first, but now it's just... I can't keep making fun of you if you're not bothered by it anymore."

"Maybe I could help?" Zatanna immediately chimes in. "I mean, I know you joke about getting a divorce all the time now...

"Last week was over a cookie." Raquel rolls her eyes and M'Gann laughs, replaying the scene on her mind.

"I know you joke a lot about it, but I can't tell if you guys are actually serious or not. If you are, I could try to help unbond your souls. I'd have to study alien magic, but it's still magic. I can do it."

Dick and Wally exchange a glance, mouths opening and closing, but no words come out.

"You don't have to answer right now!" Zatanna immediately adds, feeling unease and a bit guilty over the tension growing between them. "Think about it, first, and then talk to me."

"Yeah, okay." Dick says and lets go of Wally's hand.

 **xxx**

 _Dude, where are you?_ Dick looks at the text message on his cellphone and internally debates whether to give the speedster the address to the safe house he's been staying for the past week. Zatanna asked them to think about it, - the marriage and the soul-bonding thing, - and he's tried to. He took a leave of absence from the team, and isolated himself for a few days so he could clear his mind and think about it.

It didn't exactly work out. It's not working because as he stares at the text, every conclusion of what's best for them he's reached the last days is erased from his mind and the only thing that survives is just how much he misses Wally. The choice isn't hard at all. He types the address and it takes Wally ten minutes to arrive and knock on his door. The knocking gets more urgent and desperate each second and, when Dick finally opens the door, Wally's suddenly right up his personal space.

Wally's kissing him, and the light from his face is so bright, Dick closes his eyes. The self-deprivation of one sense, enhances the others and touching reaches a whole new level of _fucking amazing._

Wally's lips move against his, both hands caressing his neck. A gentle kind of desperation takes over his mind and heart and Dick doesn't even remember who started this; their bodies fit together so perfectly they've became one, their feelings turn from fear and uneasiness and alarm and confusion to the bittersweet realization of _I'm in love with my husband._

It feels like the kiss could never end, but it eventually does because air is important. Wally doesn't move an inch away more than it's necessary, though, their foreheads stay together, resting against each other's.

"We never talked about it." Wally says and the fear is back. "We need to talk about this."

Dick feels the muscles of his throat contracting and no words come out. He only nods, and almost has a heart attack when he watches Wally get down on one knee.

"What are you..."

"Dick, I love you, okay? I've loved you for long before some aliens decided to bond our souls together. We're married for four months now and nothing really changed between us, did it? I mean, the extra touching is nice. No, scratch that, touching you feels like I've died and gone to heaven and then came back to earth just so I could die all over again. And I know you feel the same way about me, I... I feel it. So, I don't want to talk about getting Zatanna to divorce us, I want to talk about doing this for real. Marrying you, I mean. In a human ceremony, with all our friends and family around. Would you like that?" He takes a ring out of his pocket and show it to Dick. "I know it's not as cool as bright bonding tattoos, but... It was my grandma's and... Oh, god, Dick, please say something or I might die."

Dick gets down to his knees in front of his best friend, his husband, the guy he's been in love since _forever,_ and is now proposing to him without any aliens forcing him to, and doesn't say anything. He takes Wally's face in his hands and kisses him. He kisses Wally until he tastes (his own? Wally's?) tears.

"This is completely crazy, you know this, right? But I wouldn't have it any other way. Yes, okay, let's get married again!" He says, Wally laughs, lips brushing against his own, and his entire face is glowing with the cool bonding tattoos and with being so perfectly utterly happy. It's the most beautiful sight Dick has ever seen in his life, and he has all eternity to get used to it.

There's no hurry, so Dick stops staring at him,and pulls him in for another kiss.


End file.
